And She Still Means the World to Me (Just So You Know)
by OmNomNomAttack
Summary: A look at Jackie Burkhart's life. Past / Present / Future. Warnings: Femmeslash, angst. Pairings: Jackie/Donna, Jackie/Hyde, Jackie/Michael, Jackie/Fez, Donna/Eric


Jackie never really got Donna, as much as she liked the girl, she could never get over her fascination with people who weren't Jackie.

It was the 7th Grade. Jackie met Donna. The tall red-head with the scruffy boy and the skinny nerd. They were like the tin man, the lion… And the wicked witch. Jackie tried to put up with it, but it just wouldn't happen. To be fair, she never really tried. Jackie had the strangest sensation, like she interacted with a poor person and she didn't completely hate it.

It was 8th Grade, Jackie liked it, and it was a special year. Jackie had talked to the tall girl and the nerdy boy a few more times. It was talk of the school that the boy was in love with the girl. The scruffy boy was seen around school, a smoky smell always following him wherever he went. She also saw a new addition to the trio; a smart guy with lots of headgear. He was kind of cute… You know, once you got passed the metal and stuff. The smart guy with the headgear, Michael, lost the headgear. He is actually really hot, but he seemed to get dumber. Jackie liked it; they talked about a lot of the same stuff, basically hair. This was the year Jackie got her first real boyfriend. Jackie begun to hang out with the red-head, Donna, and the scrawny boy, Eric. She didn't know what the three of them and the scruffy boy, Steven, did over at Eric's, but Michael always seemed distant.

The 9th Grade was a turning point for Jackie. Jackie's mother had her first extra-marital affair when Jackie was away at Summer Camp. Jackie only knew this when she walked in on her mother and their pool cleaner when she came home. A foreigner arrived. A dirty, annoying, wedgie humanization of a foreigner. He began to hang out with the group, and Jackie couldn't stand for it, not unless he was cooking, and she didn't trust him to cook. She really began to like Donna, she may be a lumberjack, but she was genuinely sweet and it seemed she cared for the scrawny nerd for god knows what reason. Smoky Mister Steven became a more prominent addition, which, eventually lead to Michael's first broken bone. Jackie and Michael's first fight over Steven, and the first time they have a makeup make out

A tear formed in Jackie and Michael's new and beautiful relationship during 10th Grade, while she was no longer a virgin, Michael also cheated on her. It was scary that Michael was in jail, but it was even scarier giving herself to him. He was awful, disgusting. She hated to admit it, but he wasn't as hot without clothes. That Scrawny Eric Boy finally kissed the now very pretty Donna. Wait, no. It was Donna who kissed Eric. Jackie bets she did; Donna would take charge. The foreign boy, whom they now called Fez, became more of an integral part of the Gang, looking up to Steven, who seemed to have grown into his sunglasses.

Jackie couldn't believe it, it was the 11th Grade. She and Michael had split, the moron ran out on her, so she had kissed the smoky rebel. The scruffy, smoky, bearded, hot, scruffy, hot rebel called Steven. Best and worst summer ever. Best, because she didn't go without a boyfriend for too long, which made her nervous, and when she got nervous, she bit her nails, and if her nails weren't perfect, she got angry, and when she got angry, she forgot to put on makeup, and when she forgot to put on makeup, she got nervous. It's a repetitive circle only broken by a boyfriend. Worst summer because Donna wasn't there. She had really grown to like Donna, sharing a room with her ever since her father had been taken to prison. When she was alone at night, weird feelings bubbled up inside Jackie, weird feelings about a certain red-headed, lumberjack girl two feet away from her. She didn't know if those thoughts were helped or hindered by Fez (whom she had also grown to like), hiding in their closet and telling them to kiss each other. He was weird, but nice.

The final year of school, and final year of her glorious 70's. Jackie worried if ABBA would still be accepted by the people of the 80's. Steven told her she was stupid, and that as long as people liked Zeppelin, he would still be in Foreman's basement not giving a crap. He would do that anyway. When Jackie and Fez went to a bridal expo, in place of Donna, Jackie finally felt complete. Then it was over. Jackie was Jackie, not Donna, and she wanted some security from Hyde. He couldn't give her that, so she left. It was hard, the first few weeks, she really did love him, but then, with a push from Fez, then they got back together. Then why did he let her go to Chicago? She had asked her self this many times. Why did Michael have to walk in? Why?

Then he had to get married. To Sam.

She was confused and a little scared to face herself, because the same person she now relied on, was one person her feelings for had become very mixed up about. Little Jackie Burkhart went to that one person. Donna Pinciotti. The now blonde girl who had accompanied Jackie whether she liked to or not, through thick and thin and superficial. When Donna became free, after Eric left… Things became difficult. She had so many mixed emotions, and Randy just made things even worse. After she made that list, she realised, that list doesn't have to apply to just guys. Donna was sweet, gave Jackie presents when she was sad, was not as plain looking as before she met Jackie, and they really liked each other. But Jackie did the most logical thing and went after Fez.

It was about three weeks into 1980 when Fez dumped her, saying she was too clingy and needy. Kind of ironic coming from him. And Jackie was back to where she started.

She was cracking up. Breaking, as it was. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't stop crying. It sickened her. Red eyes, puffy skin, clammy hands. All the makeup in the world couldn't cover her soul, so she had to get out.

She moved to Dallas, went to college, and became a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader to support herself. During college, she experimented, as most do, trying to forget about everyone in that hell hole of Point Place Wisconsin. That hell hole of Eric Foreman's Basement. And all the people in it. She discovered more about her sexuality, which in turn, made her confused about more things.

Like Donna.

It was late October, 1982. Jackie had finished her Degree in Social Media, and had a steady talk show on CBS. She came back to Point Place to see her old friends, Eric was back from Africa, shared a small apartment with Hyde, who still worked at Grooves.

Fez was a successful stylist, who Jackie had no problem in letting him do her hair. Red and Kitty were where they always were, and Jackie bumped into Kelso and his daughter, Betsy, toddling along to the Piggly Wiggly.

Then there was Donna. DJ-ing full time at WFPP and writing a weekly column in the newspaper, she was a celebrity. Back to her natural red hair, she greeted Jackie with a warm smile and a hug. Jackie was allowed a guest appearance on Donna's radio show, and revelled in the occasion. Underlying it all, Jackie was nervous, the beauty queen façade she had for so long endured, began to crumble in the presence of her first girl crush.

After the radio show, Donna invited Jackie to stay with her while she was in town. She didn't know what to do, so she did what she came to do from the start. She confessed to Donna. She told her friend everything. Donna didn't really respond; it was a lot to take in. She didn't really speak, but allowed Jackie to keep staying as long as she needed.

Jackie left the next day, humiliated.

1983. Jackie's show had been cancelled, so she had to look for more work. There were little movie roles every so often, she would guest appear on some shows, things like that. What she didn't expect, was a call from Donna, asking if she wanted to be a guest on her radio show. Jackie hesitated; their last conversation burned in her mind, but she accepted, looking for any work. Even if it didn't pay, she sort of missed Point Place.

She parked out the front of Donna's apartment, foot on still on the gas pedal as she looked at the flickering light of her old friend's window. She reluctantly exited the vehicle, and climbed the flight of stone stairs to B11. Donna opened the door with a smile, inviting Jackie inside. They talked about trivial things; Kelso's daughter had taken to the concept of 'burning' someone with much haste, Hyde was thinking of firing Eric if he didn't stop 'borrowing' records. Donna turned to Jackie, face slightly red, and she licked her lips, about to say something.

She said something Jackie thought she would never hear. It had taken Donna a year, several meaningless flings, several 'Circles' and finally sobering up to get to the bottom of her feelings. She liked Jackie. Like liked Jackie. She admitted that she had been battling the same sorts of feelings for Jackie, but she couldn't say it, not even to herself, without sounding like a hypocrite. Jackie used to stand for everything Donna felt oppressed her. But Donna could see that Jackie had grown, and her old feelings resurfaced. When Eric wasn't there, her closest relationship was with Jackie, and she missed that.

Jackie missed that too. She wanted to be with Donna; not physically, but to have someone to talk to, someone who could emotionally understand her. She needed Donna to help her.

So Donna did.


End file.
